The present invention relates to an information recording medium such as a compact disk, video disk and magneto-optical disk, and also relates to a reproducing device for reproducing information recorded in such an information recording medium.
In a conventional optical video disk as an example of an information recording medium, video signals of one channel and audio signals of two channels or four channels are recorded. As to the audio signals, the two channels are recorded as FM audio signals, and the other two channels are recorded as PCM audio signals. In reproduction, the video signals and the FM audio signals are reproduced, or the video signals and the PCM audio signals are reproduced.
As mentioned above, with regard to the video signals, only one channel is recorded in the conventional video disk. Accordingly, varied images cannot be reproduced.
On the other hand, with regard to the audio signals, either the FM audio signals or the PCM audio signals may be selected; one of the two channels of the selected audio signals may be muted; and the two channels may be synthesized to be output as monophonic audio signals. Thus, a variation in sound to be reproduced is limited.
Meanwhile, a video disk includes various categories of software such as movie, music, karaoke (accompaniment for singing), etc. In case of movie, video signals for the movie and audio signals associated therewith are recorded; in case of music, audio signals for the music and video signals for images associated therewith are recorded; and in case of karaoke, stereophonic (L and R) accompaniment, model vocal sound, images containing words associated therewith, etc. are recorded. A user must operate a switch or the like as required according to the contents of the software to select a desired signal.
In the prior art information reproducing device, the user must manually check and select a desired one of audio signals of plural kinds, for example. Accordingly, the user must preliminarily reproduce the disk on trial and operate the switch many times, so as to check what audio signals are recorded in the disk. This is a limitation on the operability of the reproducing device.